


Not Alone

by Atrosanguineus



Category: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Reader, Cuddling, Family, Fluff and Angst, I wrote something clean for once, OOC-ness, Reader Insert, Sleep Paralysis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2019-03-09 12:51:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13481850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atrosanguineus/pseuds/Atrosanguineus
Summary: You awake after a strange nightmare and are scared to admit that you need help when you really need it.





	Not Alone

_What happened - that was so scary - couldn't move -_

You bury your face in your pillow and squeeze your eyes shut, staining the soft fabric with a mess of snot and tears. You gulp down on mucus as you feel the fear prickle your flesh with goosebumps, trying to hide under the covers from whatever else might be in your darkened room. Maybe it wasn't real and didn't hurt you, but the fact that that...  _thing_ was hunched over you and you couldn't do anything about it makes you wonder if it could have done something worse. You could have tapped into the Force to ward it off and have done anything, but your mind had been frozen by whatever it was planning.

You wonder if perhaps you should talk to Master Anakin about whatever that was, but when you remember how he yelled at you earlier that day and how you had just kept silent over it, you stop yourself. You don't want to make him angry again with something like this. You'll just keep quiet about it, maybe tell it in the morning. For some reason, the thought of that sends you into tears all over again - tears bitter with fear and salty with despair at the thought of being so alone by yourself, the thought of not being able to move even your finger at the sight of that strange being that had stood over your bed like that and spoken in words you couldn't understand.

"_____?"  
  
You look up from your pillow, half-dried tears cold on your face. It's still dark but you can see Master Anakin's figure in the doorway. A wave of anxiety washes over you as you shake your head and curl up into a ball on the bed. You shouldn't cry in front of him like this, you scold yourself, not when he might get even angrier than he was before!

"I - I had this strange - thing standing over me when I woke up - I couldn't move, couldn't scream - and then I could move again and it was gone - I'm really scared - was that - was that the Dark Side of the Force - I'm scared - I don't want to-" You let out a sniffle as Master Anakin seats himself on your cot, mattress creaking under his form. 

"You can talk to me about something like that." His words are quiet and subdued as he pulls you closer to him so you can lean on his shoulder. It still feels strange, though, to have his hands feel so gentle when his words were so harsh.

"I didn't want to talk to you after that because I was worried you were still mad at me. About earlier," you add. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you would get that mad, and I just really don't like it when you - or, or  _anyone_ \- yell at me like that." He grips you tightly in a hug, cradling you back and forth as you let out small sobs.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were that upset, I'm sorry." Your tears soak his robes but he continues to rock you back and forth. It feels good like this, to know that you have someone almost like a second father to hold you like this. Normally you'd hate feeling so much like a little child again, feeling so much like the stupid Padawan you are. But after seeing that thing in your room, it just feels better to cry about.

You both stay like that for a while, with him gently patting your hair as your sobs turn to hiccups which turn to sniffles. Your master wipes the tears from your face and you squeeze your eyes shut, pressing closer to him and clinging to him. Fatigue begins to overtake your body and blur your surroundings: Suddenly your grip starts to loosen and the sound of your own breathing begins to fade. It's only the reminder of that thing standing over you that keeps you awake, and once you feel Master Anakin begin to pull himself away from your now-relaxed body you grab onto him.

"Please don't leave yet. I'm scared of whatever thing that was."

He settles next to you, lacing his fingers with yours as you lean against him once more. "I won't leave," he whispers. "I'll make sure that whatever thing that was won't come back again." Once more your eyes begin to flicker shut as the Force presses against your mind, urging you to sleep. You give in, feeling the tears dried on your cheeks as a numbing warmth overtakes you. You welcome whatever dreams you're going to have, because you know that now you aren't alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Well... for once I wrote something G-rated. Yay for family fluff!
> 
> Admittedly, this is based on my own first experience with sleep paralysis. I was around eight and like the reader I was a crying mess afterward. It took a lot of coaxing and hugging and reading of Jeeves & Wooster from my parents to get me to go back to sleep - thankfully, neither my mom or dad had gotten into an argument with me earlier.
> 
> It can be pretty scary if it's your first experience because you're not in control of your body but if it happens more often you know that there's not much to worry about. And if you ever feel scared about it, know that there are other people who have experienced the same things you have. So you're not alone!
> 
> Forgive me if Anakin seems somewhat OOC here, he's just a hard character for me to write.
> 
> Thank you for reading this story and I will see you guys in whatever I write next.


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